Ferrari threatens to quit F1

Ferrari has announced that it will 'reconsider its participation' in F1 if the FIA pushes through its proposal to make teams use a standard engine.

Ferrari is bitterly opposed to the plans, which the FIA claims will help to cut spiralling costs in F1.

In a statement issued after a board meeting the team said: "The Ferrari Board of Directors expressed strong concerns regarding plans to standardise engines, as it felt that such a move would detract from the entire raison of a sport with which Ferrari has been involved continuously since 1950, a raison d'etre based principally on competition and technological development...

"The Board of Directors expressed the opinion that should these key elements be diminished, it would have to re-evaluate, with its partners the viability of continuing its presence in the sport."

Toyota has also threatened to quit F1 if standard engines are introduced, but the FIA has already introduced a tender so that interested parties can bid to supply standard engines from 2010 to 2012.

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Engines are the one part of F1 where the teams can express their character. What they should be doing is having a torque/horsepower limit and letting the teams generate those figures however they want.

If cost saving is what is required (which it clearly is) then have standard tubs and suspension, fuel tanks, tyres and bodywork, then let teams have full tweaking freedom on chassis, gearbox and aero settings. You could even let them make their own nose cones for that brand identity thang...

I think the manufacturers should be allowed to produce the most amount of horsepower that they can and that this should be a test of who has the biggest balls and the sharpest reactions. I think that as cars get faster (on this basis) that the grands prix circuits should be progressively longer and longer to cater for the speed so that braking distances become longer and longer to allow for more overtaking. They'd get more spectators in on this basis which would mean higher revenues to allow for higher capital investment on improvements (which is all fine until Bernie takes an even larger cut and still keeps circuits running at a loss).

I agree with Bruce on this one. the teams should be allowed to extract as much power from their engines as is allowed within the set parameters of the engine specification. Its a bloody competition for pete's. Thats the whole point of the sport. to be better than your rival. and engines are one telling area where the teams express themselves. like this year for instance the Ferraris are claimed to have a few ponies advantage over the rest of the field. thats because they're good at building their engines. MM seem to have the best chasis and on the grid. thats how teams play it. you do what you're very good well and develop the rest along the season. no point in telling me that i can have more than say 800bhp from my engine when i can easily get 820 or 830 to give me an advantage.The manufacturers can go and form their own competition. I'm sure they'll get a few more names on the grid.

Is it not common knowledge that by 2012, EU Legislation will require that all car manufacturers produce a range of vehicles with an average CO2 output not exceeding 120 grams p/km?

And isn't it true that F1 Technology is supposed to trickle down into production car technology?

Tesla's current financial situation seems to show that consumers are not yet ready to buy into electric vehicles and the only company that appears to have a clear perspective on where they are headed are BMW, who insist that GREEN technology must enhance both performance and emissions.

Think about it... no power or performance or weight limits... only a limit to emissions and to general basic specification guidelines such as the classic mid-engine, RWD layout, a 3000 mm wheelbase, etc.

I guess that the above could probably sound absurd at first. But wouldn't it force all participants to really innovate? Moreover, wouldn't it really put the necessary perspective on the most important issue of the moment that is GLOBAL WARMING?

That is an unimaginable scenario. Should Ferrari leave F1, half of the viewing audience is also going to quit F1 altogether. Like it or not, Ferrari is the reason that F1 is so big. It's the most iconic, popular and successful team in the history of motor racing (including F1 of course). Every other team tries to beat Ferrari. Even in their stone age years of the mid 80s to mid 90s Ferrari maintained their iconic status and had by far the most followers. Imagine Ferrari quitting and think of the consequences. Many other constructors would follow suit as the value of the sport would be halved overnight. Many sponsors would also leave and F1 would be no better than GP2. Then Ferrari and the rest would form another single seaters championship and F1 would be in tatters.

Fortunately, this is just a means of appliying pressure to Max. He is going to backtrack on the single supplier rule and they are going to agree on other cost cutting measures instead. Typical F1 power games...